Monday, 15 May 2017

Energy
security became a major political issue following a storm-induced blackout in
South Australia late last year. Instead
of the massive storm which knocked over the transmission towers being the
“villain”, the Prime Minister and his Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg blamed the state’s level of renewable (wind)
energy for the outage. They have
persisted with this version of events regardless of all the evidence to the
contrary.

In
the months since then politicians and others have had a great deal to say about
the national energy grid and its shortcomings and renewables and base-load
power. Ideology has played a very
significant part in the statements of many politicians. This of course means that truth has often
been twisted or completely ignored.

Recently
the focus has been on gas and a predicted gas shortage.

Despite
the claims of the Government and many industry players, there is no general gas
shortage. There is, however, a loomingdomestic shortage because most
of the enormous volume of gas being extracted is being exported.

The
Federal Government has rather belatedly recognised that, despite the fact that
Australia will soon be the largest gas-exporting country in the world, there
will be a shortage of gas for the domestic market. Moreover, the Government has realised that
domestic consumers are paying more for gas than consumers of Australian gas in
Japan - even after the cost of processing and transporting of the resource to
that country. This has become a rather
urgent matter for the Government because domestic gas prices and the
uncertainty of supply is hurting local industries. For a government that talks about jobs and
growth, permitting more of our dwindling manufacturing base going either “down
the gurgler” or offshore would be politically foolish.

As
the Prime Minister’s meetings in recent months with the major gas exporters
have not produced the cooperation he hoped for, he recently decided to take
further action. It is action that the
industry is unhappy about saying that this will discourage global investment, a
claim which is unsubstantiated. There
are others, including some in the Government, who believe that this
interference in the market is not justified.

What
happens elsewhere? Western Australia,
the one Australian state which had the forethought to realise that there was a
need to protect local interests, has a gas reservation policy[1]. Many other countries, including Canada, the
USA, Israel, Indonesia and Egypt, have various mechanisms to ensure that they
won’t end up in the situation that Australia is heading towards. In their rush to encourage foreign investment,
successive Australian Federal Governments failed to see that safeguards to
protect domestic gas supplies were needed in the national interest.

Prime
Minister Turnbull has stated that his measures will only be needed for the
short term because he expects that there will be further development of local
gasfields which can service the domestic market. He is referring specifically to NSW and
Victoria which have currently stopped unconventional gas mining. (There is an exception in NSW. Santos’ project in the Pilliga in the
north-west is currently going through the planning approval process.)

The
Prime Minister is one of many politicians and industry players who have weighed
in wanting the opening up of NSW and Victoria to coal seam and unconventional
gas mining.

Recently
Ian Macfarlane, the head of the Queensland Resources Council, and a former
federal Coalition Minister, criticised the NSW and Victorian Governments for
lacking the will to develop their gas resources in the same way that Queensland
has.[2]

What
Macfarlane either does not understand or conveniently ignores is that it is
what happened in Queensland as well as overseas in the USA and elsewhere that
alarmed communities in NSW and Victoria and generated the campaigns against CSG
and unconventional gas mining – campaigns that have gathered strength also in
the Northern Territory and the north-west of Western Australia.

In
his interview with Leigh Sales on ABC TV’s 7.30 on April 27 Macfarlane paints a
very rosy picture of the industry in Queensland [3]. He claims “irresponsible green activism”
stopped the industry in NSW. Blaming
the anti-gas campaign on the “greenie” bogey is convenient for many
conservatives but is far from a true reflection of the breadth of community
opposition to an invasive and polluting industry.

It
will be interesting to see whether the urging of the Federal Government and
proponents like Macfarlane encourage the NSW and Victorian Governments to
change their positions on gas mining. If
this happens, the reaction from those who see the industry as an unacceptable
threat to agriculture and the environment is easy to predict.

GuestSpeakis a feature ofNorth Coast Voicesallowing Northern Rivers residents to make satirical or serious comment on issues that concern them. Posts of 250-300 words or less can be submitted toncvguestspeakATgmail.com.aufor consideration. Longer posts will be considered on topical subjects.

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Moggy Musings

Hi! My name is Boy. I'm a male bi-coloured tabby cat. Ever since I discovered that Malcolm Turnbull's dogs were allowed to blog, I have been pestering Clarencegirl to allow me a small space on North Coast Voices.

A false flag musing: I have noticed one particular voice on Facebook which is Pollyanna-positive on the subject of the Port of Yamba becoming a designated cruise ship destination. What this gentleman doesn’t disclose is that, as a principal of Middle Star Pty Ltd, he could be thought to have a potential pecuniary interest due to the fact that this corporation (which has had an office in Grafton since 2012) provides consultancy services and tourismbusiness development services.

A religion & local government musing: On 11 October 2017 Clarence Valley Council has the Church of Jesus Christ Development Fund Inc in Sutherland Local Court No. 6 for a small claims hearing. It would appear that there may be a little issue in rendering unto Caesar. On 19 September 2017 an ordained minister of a religion (which was named by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in relation to 40 instances of historical child sexual abuse on the NSW North Coast) read the Opening Prayer at Council’s ordinary monthly meeting. Earlier in the year an ordained minister (from a church network alleged to have supported an overseas orphanage closed because of child abuse claims in 2013) read the Opening Prayer and an ordained minister (belonging to yet another church network accused of ignoring child sexual abuse in the US and racism in South Africa) read the Opening Prayer at yet another ordinary monthly meeting. Nice one councillors - you are covering yourselves with glory!

An investigative musing: Newcastle Herald, 12 August 2017: The state’s corruption watchdog has been asked to investigate the finances of the Awabakal Aboriginal Local Land Council, less than 12 months after the troubled organisation was placed into administration by the state government. The Newcastle Herald understands accounting firm PKF Lawler made the decision to refer the land council to the Independent Commission Against Corruption after discovering a number of irregularities during an audit of its financial statements.The results of the audit were recently presented to a meeting of Awabakal members. Administrator Terry Lawler did not respond when contacted by the Herald and a PKF Lawler spokesperson said it was unable to comment on the matter. Given the intricate web of company relationships that existed with at least one former board member it is not outside the realms of possibility that, if ICAC accepts this referral, then United Land Councils Limited (registered New Zealand) and United First Peoples Syndications Pty Ltd(registered Australia) might be interviewed. North Coast Voices readers will remember that on 15 August 2015 representatives of these two companied gave evidence before NSW Legislative Council General Purpose Standing Committee No. 6 INQUIRY INTO CROWN LAND. This evidence included advocating for a Yamba mega port.

A Nationals musing: Word around the traps is that NSW Nats MP for Clarence Chris Gulaptis has been talking up the notion of cruise ships visiting the Clarence River estuary. Fair dinkum! That man can be guaranteed to run with any bad idea put to him. I'm sure one or more cruise ships moored in the main navigation channel on a regular basis for one, two or three days is something other regular river users will really welcome. *pause for appreciation of irony* The draft of the smallest of the smaller cruise vessels is 3 metres and it would only stay safely afloat in that channel. Even the Yamba-Iluka ferry has been known to get momentarily stuck in silt/sand from time to time in Yamba Bay and even a very small cruise ship wouldn't be able to safely enter and exit Iluka Bay. You can bet your bottom dollar operators of cruise lines would soon be calling for dredging at the approach to the river mouth - and you know how well that goes down with the local residents.

A local councils musing: Which Northern Rivers council is on a low-key NSW Office of Local Government watch list courtesy of feet dragging by a past general manager?

A serial pest musing: I'm sure the Clarence Valley was thrilled to find that a well-known fantasist is active once again in the wee small hours of the morning treading a well-worn path of accusations involving police, local business owners and others.

An investigative musing: Which NSW North Coast council is batting to have the longest running code of conduct complaint investigation on record?

A which bank? musing: Despite a net profit last year of $9,227 million the Commonwealth Bank still insists on paying below Centrelink deeming rates interest on money held in Pensioner Security Accounts. One local wag says he’s waiting for the first bill from the bank charging him for the privilege of keeping his pension dollars at that bank.

A Daily Examiner musing: Just when you thought this newspaper could sink no lower under News Corp management, it continues to give column space to Andrew Bolt.

A thought to ponder musing: In case of bushfire or flood - do you have an emergency evacuation plan for the family pet?

An adoption musing: Every week on the NSW North Coast a number of cats and dogs find themselves without a home. If you want to do your bit and give one bundle of joy a new family, contact Happy Paws on 0419 404 766 or your local council pound.